Alabama

George Wallace Jr. promotes book about his father at Troy University

Troy University students, faculty, staff and the public packed the Adams-Hawkins-Long Hall of Honor on the Troy Campus Friday, April 20, 2012, to hear George Wallace Jr., son of former four-time Alabama Gov. George Wallace, speak about his father's life and legacy. Wallace Jr. was promoting his book, "Governor George Wallace: The Man You Never Knew by the Man Who Knew Him Best." (TROY photo/Kevin Glackmeyer)

TROY,
Alabama -- Former Gov. George Wallace's son visited Troy University today to
promote a new book about his father.

According to
a release from Troy University, George Wallace Jr. addressed a crowd of 200
students and faculty at the university's Hawkins-Adams-Long Hall of Honor to
promote his book "Governor George Wallace: The Man You Never Knew by the Man
Who Knew Him Best."

Wallace was
elected governor of Alabama four times and his wife, Lurleen, was elected in
1966 as a surrogate when the popular governor had reached term limits.

George Wallace Jr., son of former Alabama governors George Wallace and Lurleen Wallace, speaks at Troy University Friday, April 20, 2012. (TROY photo/Kevin Glackmeyer)

Wallace
notably supported racial segregation, even standing in the school house doors
of the University of Alabama to prevent the first black student to enter. He
later recanted his beliefs on the topic, which earned him his last term as
governor in 1982.

He ran twice
for the presidency, once as a third-party candidate and once as a Democrat, and
was shot in an assassination attempt during the second campaign.

"My father
always believed that because he was so controversial that he might be shot,"
Wallace Jr. said in his speech. "But he thought he would suffer a head wound
and die. He was winning when he was taken out of the race. He was stopped the
only way he could be stopped."